Coffins bearing the mortal remains of army soldiers who died when their truck plunged into a gorge in Sikkim, were flown to their homes scattered across the country, after a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at Bagdogra airport in North Bengal on Saturday.
After the last post was sounded at the wreath-laying ceremony, 15 of the bodies were flown by special Air Force aircraft to various airports in the country, from where they will be taken to the victims' towns or villages, the Army said.
The body of Naib Subedar Chandan Kumar Mishra, who belonged to Khagaria in Bihar, was taken to his village by road.
"After the bodies reach the native places of deceased soldiers, local Army authorities will coordinate the handing over of mortal remains to the family members and conduct of funeral with full military honours," an Army official said.
The 16 bravehearts lost their lives when the Army truck they were travelling in skidded down a steep slope at Zema in North Sikkim on Friday morning.
Wreaths were laid on the mortal remains of the deceased soldiers at Bagdogra airport, near Siliguri city, at a solemn ceremony after the bodies reached the facility shortly after 12.30 pm from Libing helipad in East Sikkim, an Army official said.
The deceased were accorded a gun salute.
Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, General Officer Commanding of Trishakti Corps Lt General VPS Kaushik, and other Army and Air Force officials paid their last respects to the deceased soldiers, he said.
The mortal remains were earlier brought to Sochethang near Gangtok in Army vehicles from the accident site and post-mortem examinations were conducted before being sent to Gangtok for the ceremony.
Senior civil and police officials were also present at the hospital to pay their last respects to the departed souls. -- PTI